Eva Mendes: Her Style Timeline

Eva Mendes comments on Justin Timberlake, the farmer's tan she once showed on the red carpet, and what she thinks is sexier than lingerie. For more of our exclusive interview with the actress, pick up the August issue of Allure, on newsstands July 20.

"Oh, God, this one is my first premiere ever. My publicist called up Armani, and they sent a suit. I just see this and think, Oh, this little girl. She has no idea what she's in for. That's all I feel."

"I love Justin. I haven't worked with him, but I've known him for years and really, really adore him. It's annoying how talented he is. You see him on Saturday Night Live and you're like, really? And you're funny, too?! I don't know what I'm doing here—something he apparently does not like."

"I went straight from a shoot where they had put extensions on me. I don't like extensions on me, I should say. I have a lot of thick hair; if anything, I need less of it. I love the fuchsia dress. It was Calvin [Klein], and [designer] Francisco Costa is a doll. Look, I have a farmer's tan on my side. Sometimes when I go running I'll wear a tank top, so it happens."

"Oh, that was just the silliest. It was an award with other Evas in the industry. I love that dress, though. That was Dior. White lace. It reminds me of what I wore to my ninth-grade graduation, but that one obviously wasn't Dior. Not at all! That one probably came from Forever 21 in Glendale. I loved, loved, loved that dress."

"Look at this: I love the expression on my face. This is the moment in the movie where I find out that the wife of the man I'm having an affair with is in the next room. I happen to not be into this whole lingerie look, but my character in the movie is. I think it can be sexy, but it's not me. It's not what I find sexy. Not so much lingerie, but this whole getup—it's a lot. To me, sexy is either nude or with very basic Calvin Klein underwear and maybe a white, ribbed tank top with no bra."

"I love Drew; she's one of my best friends in the business. And that's one of my favorite dresses of all time. It was Dior, and it had this big pouf. The necklace is Van Cleef & Arpels, 1974, turquoise and diamonds. Just to have the weight of it around my neck, that was an amazing feeling."

"I'm not going to be like, 'No, it's not sexy [during the shoot].' There are moments...but then your knee slips and your elbow goes into him, and you laugh and the moment is completely broken. Or it becomes so technical, and technical and sexy don't go together. I lost myself at times during this shoot. I felt like if he got an accidental knee to the groin, then that was what was going to happen, as long as we got the shot. What I love about this is that even though it's overtly sexy, I think there's a sweetness there."

"I love that this character is a doctor and still, she gets everything done in time to make a beautiful dinner and have it on the table for her husband and look really beautiful in a dress. She's saving lives all day, and she gets home and he says, 'Honey, aren't you going to change for dinner? We have company!' That's the gist of their relationship. She's breaking her back doing all these amazing things to make her man happy, and he just doesn't see it."